


world enough, and time

by greyyy693 (greyrosesinjune)



Category: NINE PERCENT (Band), 偶像练习生 | Idol Producer (TV)
Genre: Domestic, Established Relationship, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-05-18
Updated: 2018-05-18
Packaged: 2019-05-08 15:11:23
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,106
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14696753
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/greyrosesinjune/pseuds/greyyy693
Summary: There is a world out there waiting, and the earth still spins on its axis, uncaring of the comfortable bubble Ziyi and Xukun have fashioned for themselves.





	world enough, and time

Awakening comes slowly to Ziyi this morning, as it does on days where he doesn’t have to wake up at the crack of dawn. Ziyi emerges from the now-fading wisps of his dreams, crosses the line between sleep and waking, and opens his eyes to the white ceiling of the bedroom he and Nongnong share. Muted light filtered by window blinds fills the room. To his right somewhere, Nongnong’s soft snores punctuate the silence.

Ziyi breathes in deeply, then exhales. He turns his head to his left, careful not to wake the person beside him. Cocooned in blankets, Xukun’s familiar face is slack and still within the throes of slumber. Ziyi traces his features with his eyes, Xukun’s sleep-mussed dark hair, those long lashes, down-sloped nose, and the pout of his lips, mouth slightly open as he puffs out quiet breaths. In sleep Xukun looks younger, having shed off the responsibility and tedium of being the leader of Nine Percent. Ziyi is lucky, he reflects, that Xukun generously allows Ziyi to see him like this, bare-faced, stripped down and vulnerable.

Last night, Xukun had come home after midnight from a solo schedule. Ziyi knows this because Xukun had come to Nongnong and Ziyi’s room, hair still damp from his shower, clutching onto his pillow and blanket and looking so small in a worn-out tee and a pair of loose sweatpants. Nongnong had turned in early and so Ziyi, just about to go to bed, had answered the quiet knocks on their door. Seeing the exhaustion lining Xukun’s face, Ziyi hadn’t said a word. Instinctively, Ziyi reached to embrace the smaller boy, feeling Xukun sag into his arms, head buried in the crook of his neck. A beat, then two, before Ziyi broke the hug and moved to take Xukun’s things before leading him to his side of the room, divided from Nongnong’s by wall-to-floor shelving placed to maintain some semblance of privacy. Xukun had climbed into his bed less gracefully than he usually did, taking his preferred spot next to the wall, and Ziyi climbed in afterwards, ensuring Xukun was properly tucked in. They exchanged no words, but Ziyi let himself reach for Xukun’s hand to tangle their fingers together. Sleep was easy to stave off, and Ziyi lay awake until he heard Xukun’s breathing even out and become deeper. Only then did Ziyi finally let himself fall asleep.

And now, Ziyi gazes upon Xukun and is content.

Ziyi knows that soon, he and the rest of Nine Percent will have a magazine photoshoot in the afternoon and it’ll be chaotic again. He will have to occupy a bathroom before his other members (particularly Yanjun), there is breakfast to be consumed (the last of the precious sweet-sour dumplings he brought from home – enough for him and Xukun perhaps?) and he needs to choose his clothes and appear somewhat presentable, and help round up the younger members before their staff invade their apartment. The thought of it all is, he admits, a little daunting.

His stream of thoughts are interrupted by the rustling of sheets, then the changes in Nongnong’s breathing. His guess is proven right when shortly after, Ziyi hears the quiet padding of feet on parquet flooring before Nongnong’s sleepy face appears from behind the shelving. Nongnong smiles at him, eyes flicking towards Xukun before meeting Ziyi’s again. The first time he had found Xukun in Ziyi’s bed, his reaction had been highly amusing. Nongnong’s jaw had dropped and his eyebrows had climbed towards his forehead, and he had let out an undecipherable sound that had awakened Ziyi (but not Xukun). Nongnong hadn’t been able to stop glancing at them both until the rest of Nine Percent found out (and that had been another story on its own). Now, Nongnong only nods at Ziyi and points towards their attached bathroom. A moment later, Ziyi hears the tap running.

Ziyi is reluctant to wake Xukun especially since the latter had a late night, but he has to.

Ziyi caresses Xukun’s cheek. “Kunkun. Kunkun, you have to wake up now.”

Xukun barely stirs under his touch, but Ziyi knows how difficult Xukun finds it to get out of bed in the morning, especially when he’s so exhausted. Ziyi repeats Xukun’s name again.

“You need to wake up now, Kunkun,” he says.

Xukun blearily opens an eye, and then the other.

“Ziyi?”

Ziyi hums.

Xukun shuts his eyes again and tries to burrow deeper into his blankets.

Ziyi’s lips twitch upwards at the corners. “Kunkun,” he repeats patiently.

Xukun’s head pops up from the bundle of blankets. “Ziyiiii,” he whines, “let me sleep.”

“You sleepyhead,” Ziyi teases fondly, reaching out to push Xukun’s head out of his face. “we need to get up soon, okay?”

In his mind, Ziyi has already organised his to-do list, and now he mentally rearranges it to squeeze in a few more minutes of sleep for Xukun.

“I’ll go wash up, and then I’ll come back to get you,” Ziyi compromises, mind already running ahead to determine which bathroom was available (not Yanjun’s, he would be up by now), and how long he’d need to defrost the dumplings. He swings his feet to get out of bed, when he’s stopped by Xukun’s hand around his wrist. 

“Stay,” Xukun says, voice tender but grasp surprisingly firm around Ziyi’s wrist.

Ziyi gazes upon Xukun, and thinks of everything that needs to be done – he needs a shower, to start breakfast, and there’s the schedule ahead; so many items to be checked off his to-do list in such a short time.

Despite all that, his decision is an easy one.

Xukun’s grasp weakens as Ziyi slides himself under his blanket, back into bed.

“Just for a moment,” Ziyi promises Xukun and himself. Xukun’s cheek is cool under his warm hand, and he brushes Xukun’s cheek lightly with his thumb. Xukun honestly appears a little tired, even now, but less exhausted than yesterday and that is all that Ziyi can ask for.

“Just a moment,” Xukun echoes, his lips quirking up in a smile that takes Ziyi’s breath away.

Ziyi leans in to brush a soft kiss on his lips; once, twice and a tender thrice.

There is a world out there waiting, and the earth still spins on its axis, uncaring of the comfortable bubble Ziyi and Xukun have fashioned for themselves. But for now, while Zhengting hollers at his company mates and Zhangjing bangs on the door of the bathroom that Yanjun has barricaded himself into, Ziyi and Xukun remain here, in their quiet little room, gazing upon each other.

After all, they have time.

**Author's Note:**

> A big 'thank you' to Anna (@milkandanna) for proofreading! I really appreciate it. <3
> 
> This is my tiny contribution to the Zikun fandom - it's been such a long time since I've written fic so I hope this is okay! :)


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